Losing Control

Chapter 5

Ayfer took her tea into the family room and opened the book that she had been reading when Seyfi called, "Is it too late to talk now?"

"No Seyfi now is good. How was tonight?"

"You'll have your hands full, the two oldest ones have some serious attitude and then the youngest has some psychological trauma. Scratch that, they all have psychological trauma but the youngest is the most obvious. From what I was able to gather from the two older ones, they were home with their mother when she fell down the stairs and broke her neck. The little one found her and began screaming, eventually raising everyone on the household. That was the last sound she's made for over a year now."

"Oh the poor child. I guess it's silly to ask if they had done therapy for her."

"I don't know, we didn't get a chance to talk about that. Ayfer, these three will test you. They are closely bonded and the younger two seem to take their que from the oldest. I will admit to seeing the youngest enjoying herself in the pool. Aydan tried talking to the oldest girl and offered to take them all shopping. They hardly have anything, each only had a small suitcase."

Ayfer didn't understand, "What do you mean? Don't they have clothing?"

"Just the bare necessities. Apparently they left the house in a hurry today and took what they could." The two talked a little while longer, Seyfi confirmed what time Ayfer should be at the house to meet Serkan before he left for work. Ayfer headed off to bed with her mind churning,

Serkan hadn't looked forward to his mother and Seyfi invading his home that evening but it turned out better than he anticipated. Aydan Bolat and Seyfi Cicek together were a force to be reckoned with. He had just gotten in the pool and coaxed little Ebru to join him when the duo arrived bearing dinner, snacks and drinks for everyone. The children just stared at his mother and Seyfi, unsure what to make of them.

Aydan tried hard to bond with the oldest daughter to no avail, she wasn't receptive to her attention, "I know who you are," Defne said to Aydan, "You're my father's first wife. You took his money and made us live like paupers."

"Excuse me?" asked Aydan, "I took his money? What money?

"All his money that you took in the divorce," she accused.

She laughed, "I took no money from Aptekin. Young lady you are seriously misinformed. Aptekin had no money when he married me, all the money is from the Bolat's. I'm sorry if you believe this my dear but it is true. When your father and I divorced he had to go back to his name, even the name belongs to the Bolat family."

Defne got up and walked away from Aydan, she looked to Serkan, "Did I say something wrong?"

Serkan got out of the pool since Ebru and Emir had followed Defne, "No, you didn't do anything wrong. Apparently Aptekin was still using the Bolat name and must have told them that we were the reason for his financial woes. The man never could take responsibility for his own failings. . . . . . .And before you make any comparisons, you will note that I am trying here."

"Yes dear, I noticed that you were doing better. How have things been?"

He sat across from his mother, "Engin and Pyril have me on a trial friendship basis it seems. They were very honest when I returned. I deserved it and am trying to make amends but I did a lot of damage."

Aydan got up and sat next to him, "How are you really dear?"

Looking at the ceiling and blinking away the moisture that had collected, "Every damn day, I miss him every damned day and I thought the pain would get less. I thought that I would get used to the idea of him not being around. Then I think how easy it would be to drown my pain at the bottom of a bottle and I realize that I can't. I have a company, responsibilities that I've been shirking. Listening to Engin and Pyril speak so poorly of me hit me hard, and they aren't the only ones that I have disappointed. There's you, I should have been there for you too. I wasn't the only one that lost Alp and selfishly I have forgotten or ignored that fact."